ACTORS TURNED POLITICIANS

Popular Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwary recently joined the BJP. He became the latest in a long list of actors who had decided to enter politics. Let us take a look at the others who have joined politics from the field of acting…

Jaya Bachchan : Samajwadi party
Jaya Bachchan, the wife of Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan, is one of the most recognised Hindi film actresses of her time. During her career she was honoured with many acting awards. Jaya was a part of the Samajwadi party and she has also been a Member of Parliament. She was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Samajwadi Party member in the year 2012.Govinda – Indian National Congress party
A popular actor in Indian cinema, Govinda is known mostly for his comic roles. A member of the Indian National Congress party, Govinda was elected as Member of Parliament from North Mumbai in 2004 and served for a period of five years. In 2009, the actor quit politics so that he could resume his acting career.Dharmendra – MP, Bikaner
The ‘He-Man’ of Indian cinema was elected as Member of Parliament in the 2004 general elections from Bikaner in Rajasthan.Jaya Prada – Telugu Desam party
Jaya Prada has starred in a number of Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi films. She joined TDP (Telugu Desam Party) at the age of 32 but left the party after four years to join the Samajwadi Party. However, Jaya Prada was expelled from the Samajwadi Party after a few years of service for damaging the political image of the party.Vinod Khanna – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Vinod Khanna, the famous yesteryears hero, started his political career by joining the BJP in the year 1997 and went on to become union minister for culture and tourism in 2002. However, a few months later, he was moved to the Ministry of External Affairs as Minister of State.Jayalalithaa – All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)
Jayalalithaa Jayaram, fondly referred to as ‘Amma’ in political circles, is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and AIADMK’s General Secretary. Little do people know that she was a famous actress with a huge fan following in the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film industries before she entered politics.Shabani Azmi – Member of Rajya Sabha
An Indian actress of repute, Shabani Azmi’s tireless work towards several causes from AIDS awareness to child survival earned her nomination to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament in the year 1997 as a reward for her work.Shatrughan Sinha – BJP MP
Shatrughan Sinha entered politics with a bang, defeating actor Shekhar Suman in the Patna Sahib constituency of Bihar. He then served as the cabinet Minister for the Department of Health and Family before going on to head the Department of Shipping for the Lok Sabha. He also headed the BJP’s Culture and Arts department and has been a Member of Parliament since 2009 when he wa re-elected.Chiranjeevi – Praja Rajyam Party
When the hugely popular Telugu actor Chiranjeevi made his foray into politics in 2008 it was welcomed because he had a huge fan base. Chiranjeevi went on to form the Praja Rajyam Party, which is now the third largest party in the State Assembly post the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Elections. He currently holds the post of Minister of Tourism in the Indian Government.Dev Anand – National Party of India
The ‘evergreen’ star of Indian cinema was one of the finest actors of his generation. Known for his real portrayal of complex yet endearing roles in films like ‘The Guide’ and ‘Jewel Thief’ among others. He also made his foray into politics by forming his own party called The National Party of India in 1977 but later disbanded it.Dara Singh – Bharatiya Janata pary (BJP)
Dara Singh, the famous wrestler and actor was a member of the BJP party from 2003 to 2009. He served the upper house of the Indian parliament, the Rajya Sabha.Sunil Dutt – Congress
Indian movie actor, producer as well as director, Sunil Dutt joined the Congress party in 1984 and was elected Member of Parliament from northwest Mumbai for five terms. He was appointed the cabinet minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Indian Government in 2004, and remained so till his death.Vyjayantimala Bali – Congress
In a career lasting almost two decades, Vyjayantimala Bali was one of the biggest Bollywood stars to have come from the south. She joined the BJP on 1999 after resigning from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress party.She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1993 for a six-year term.Amitabh Bachchan – Congress
The ‘angry young man’ of Indian cinema – Amitabh Bachchan, often considered by many to be one of the greatest actors ever to have graced the silver screen, also had a brief stint in politics. In 1984, he contested Allahabad’s seat of 8th Lok Sabha and won by a huge margin. However, he resigned after a short period of three years. Later, Amitabh was seen supporting the Samajwadi Party although he did not join the party.Rajesh Khanna – Congress
The eternal romantic icon of the Hindi film industry, Rajesh Khanna also referred to as the ‘original superstar’ was a Member of the Parliament for the Indian National Congress, from the New Delhi constituency, where he won the 1992 by-election retaining his seat until 1996.Javed Akhtar – nominated Rajya Sabha
Javed Akhtar is a prominent poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha on 2009.
Hema Malini – Bharatiya Janata Party
The ‘Dreamgirl’ of Indian cinema, Hema Malini has been involved in Indian politics due to her being a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Later, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament with the support of the BJP.Raj Babbar – Congress
A Member of Parliament from Firozabad, Raj Babbar is a former Hindi film actor. He is a member of the Indian National Congress party.Sanjay Dutt – Samajwadi party
Popular Indian film actor and son of Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Dutt was also briefly associated with politics when he joined Samajwadi Party for a brief period.Manoj Tiwary – BJP
Popular Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwary recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Earlier, Tiwari had contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election as a Samajwadi Party candidate from Gorakhpur.Suresh Oberoi – BJP
Another industry stalwart to have joined the BJP, Suresh Oberoi is the father of Vivek Oberoi. The actor has praised the party saying it has achieved a lot in the last few years as compared to other parties.n
—India Syndicate